Nighttime Back Pain

Nighttime back pain is a special type of lower back pain that could indicate a serious problem with your spine. In the U.S., between 60% and 80% of the population experiences some form of low back pain. It’s one of the most common reasons people see a chiropractor. But as debilitating as back pain can be, most instances of it are manageable, and people who get adequate rest and proper exercise often see improvement within a matter of weeks.

With nighttime back pain, however, people can’t get the rest they need because they can’t get relief from their pain.

What Is Nighttime Back Pain?

The majority of people with back pain are able to adjust how they sleep to get relief from the pain they experience during the day. But with nighttime back pain, also called nocturnal back pain, the pain doesn’t stop when a person lies down, no matter what adjustments they make. For some, the pain actually gets worse. For others, the pain doesn’t even start until they lie down.

A person can actually go through a day virtually pain-free. But then at night, they may find it nearly impossible to get a full night’s sleep. In one study 44% of people seen at a back pain clinic in the U.K. complained of pain at night. And 42% of those people said the pain was present every night. Some study participants reported being awakened as often as six times a night; the average length of continuous sleep for people with nocturnal pain was less than five hours.

What Causes Nighttime Back Pain?

Just as with normal back pain, the cause of nighttime back pain isn’t always clear. Among other things, back pain can be caused by any of the following –

Problems with the way the spine moves or other mechanical problems, the most common of which is disc degeneration.

Injuries such as sprains or fractures or more severe injuries such as a fall or an auto accident.

Diseases and conditions, such as scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, or spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column.

If you are suffering from nighttime or any other type of back pain, schedule a consultation with our chiropractic office in Kennesaw. Dr. Todd Supnick will evaluate your condition and develop a treatment plan to address the issues which are causing your pain.